A 1960s Vintage Thanksgiving Menu

Click on the Thanksgiving Playlist and peruse these suggestions to add a bit of vintage flair to your holiday celebrations.

Cocktails: keep them simple and make someone who is not cooking the bartender 

• Kiddie Collins (half Collins mixer, half 7-Up)

• Tom Collins or Vodka Collins

• Fruit Juice and 7-Up

• Punch (see vintage recipe above, or try my easy modern measurements: 2 2-liters of your favorite lemon-lime soda plus one half gallon of lime sherbet)

Appetizer Relish Tray: Olives, Sweet Pickles, Cheese Cubes (keeps hungry children out of the kitchen)

Turkey with Stuffing (Before the arguments start, it’s stuffing when it’s cooked inside the bird and dressing when it’s cooked in a pan in an oven, with or without the bird, or in a crockpot.)

Gravy - We use the turkey drippings, add flour to make a roux, and then add milk, cooking until it just starts to bubble.  Delicious!

Mashed Potatoes - boil ‘em, mash ‘em, put ‘em in a bowl

Green Bean Casserole

The Original Recipe From 1955

Jello Salad - I remember Grandma grating carrots and celery before adding it to green or orange jello.  I still have issues with the texture.  I love jello, but the only thing I want mixed in it is Cool Whip.  That said, everyone should try a serving of jello salad at least once in their lives.

Cranberry Sauce - straight out of the can and sliced into circles

Dinner Rolls (lovingly made from scratch a week before and frozen for freshness)

Pumpkin Pie (The very best pie is made from cooked down Halloween pumpkins.)

Coffee (to counteract the tryptophan so you can actually watch the football games)

I love leftovers.  Honestly, I could eat a warmed up bowl of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy every day from Thanksgiving to Epiphany.  Yum! I hope this menu has brought you a bit of comfort and warm fuzzies. I’m hungry now and need to go make lunch.

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Stay groovy!

Sincerely,

Kate

ⓒ 2023, Katherine Osburn-Day

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